Manufacture of chair-seats.



E. P. WANNER.

MANUFACTURE OF GHAIR SEATS.

APPLICATION FILED IBBA, 1909.

Patented. Mar. 29, 1910.

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WITNESSES ANunEw'a GRAHAM ca. FHOTO-UTNOGRAPHERS WASHINGTON u c.

EDWIN P. WANNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MANUFACTURE OF GHAIR-SEATS.

Application filed February 4, 1809.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 29, 191G.

Serial No. 476,044.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN P. IVANNER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Chair-Seats; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of chair-seats, and particularly to chair seats of the kind in which the frame thereof is bent from a piece of wood into annular or other continuous or endless form.

The object of the invention is to cheapen and simplify the manufacture of such seats and also to make it unnecessary to return the entire chair to a manufacturer or repairer for the purpose of renewing the seatproper when worn or damaged.

In furtherance of my invention the frame of the seat is first formed and then cut in a horizontal plane to produce two sections, an upper section to carry the seat-proper and a lower section to receive the supporting means for the seat, such as the legs of the chair. I have found, however, that the cross-section of the frame, substantially continuously thereof, must present at least as large a dimension vertically as horizontally, and that the plane of severance thereof to form said sections should be near the top surface of the frame, the reasons for which are as follows: IVhen the frame is cut into two sections in the way indicated, the lower section, which is to form a permanent part of the chair, has considerable depth relatively to its width, so that it is not only a strong, stout medium to which to secure firmly other permanent parts (such as the legs) of the chair, but is less subject to any tendency to warp either out of its flatwise form or out of the shape in plan originally given it, which it would be subject to were its vertical depth relatively little; and, in addition, it allows its flat top surface to be a broad seat or support for the upper section. On the other hand, the upper section having considerable width relatively to its depth, its flat under face forms a broad seat or support therefor on the upper face of the lower section, and, although it may be subject to some tendency to warp out of its flatwise form, being relatively thin, it may be drawn in all parts thereof, by screws or other suitable means holding the two sections together, into regular or continuous contact with the lower section, which, being stout and thick, affords ample support or backing for the screws. The importance of so forming a sectional bent-wood chair-seat will be apparent to those skilled in the art when it is observed that, if the lower section approached the fiat form or the upper section a thick form, the effects of warping (which does not manifest itself in the lower section of my chair-seat, and which, if it tends or is likely to develop in. the upper section, is controllable) would be to produce material crevices or open seams between the sections and always at the outer face of the frame, where they would be most conspicuous and most unsightly.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken centrally through the seat frame before severing it; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the frame after it is severed and with a seatproper of the cane-kind employed in connection therewith; Fig. 3 is a plan of what appears in Fig. 2; Fig. 4- is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a seat-proper of the slip-seat kind; and, Fig. 5 is a side elevation illustrating that a seat of the saddle kind may be used with the lower section of the frame in place of the (removed) upper section.

In carrying out my invention an endless or continuous frame of bent-wood is first formed, as indicated at a, Fig. 1. In substantially any cross-section of this frame, its vertical dimension is at least as great as its horizontal dimension. To give a finish to the frame, a low-lying bead 0r flange (9 is formed continuously around the same. The frame (0 having been thus formed, it is sawed in a horizontal plane parallel with its top and bottom surfaces 0 and (Z, and relatively near the top surface, thereby producing the continuous or endless upper and lower sections 0 and f. The proximity of the plane of the cut to the top surface of the frame and the vertical dimension of the bead or flange b are relatively such, by preference, that the cut divides the flange in the receding or lowermost part thereof, as indicated by the dot and dash line in Fig. 1, so that after the parts are secured together in the manner to be described, the joint between them will be concealed, although they may not, in the assembling, be brought into absolutely continuously flush disposition with respect to each other. Having severed the frame in this manner into two sections, 6 and f, screws 9 or any other suitable means may be employed to secure them together in substantially continuous or regular contact with each other. Before securing the sections together, in the type of seat shown in Fig. 2, section 7 is provided with the annular groove h and the section 0 with a vertical annular series of holes 2' adapted to register with the groove in the assembled relation of the sections; by forming the groove in the lower section f, the upper section is not weakened as it would be if the groove were formed in it, and in addition, the annular projection which is formed by the projecting portions of the caning serves, when the parts are assembled, and by entering said groove h, to center the upper section on the lower section.

As shown in Fig. 4, the upper section may be formed with an interior rabbet 7a to receive the slip-seat Z, which may be secured therein by gluing or otherwise.

If desired, in place of applying the upper section to the lower section, a saddle seat 2 or a seat of any other kind, may be applied to the lower section, being held in place by the screws 0.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

As an article of manufacture, an endless one-piece bent-wood seat-carrying frame for a chair, the same having, substantially continuously thereof, its vertical dimension in the cross-section thereof at least as great as its horizontal dimension, said frame being divided in a single and horizontal plane relatively near its top surface into a relatively thin upper endless section, itself forming a frame for attachment thereto of any suitable type of seat-proper, and a relatively thick lower endless section adapted to form a permanent part of a chair frame, and means for holding said upper section in continuous faceto-face contact with the lower section, substantially as described.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of February, 1909.

EDXVIN P. ANNER.

Witnesses:

JOHN V. STEWARD, WVM. H. KUN'rz. 

